


the wolf just has to find you once

by TheFlirtMeister



Category: Formula 1 RPF
Genre: Creepy, Murder, Mystery, Other, dont do weird things in the woods kids
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-31
Updated: 2018-10-31
Packaged: 2019-08-11 15:10:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,231
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16477892
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheFlirtMeister/pseuds/TheFlirtMeister
Summary: "You seem very calm talking about the murder of your best friend.”“I’ve been doing this shit for 2 years.” Sebastian says bluntly. “I’ve had a lot of therapy.”





	the wolf just has to find you once

**Author's Note:**

> happy halloween, life is awful.

Sebastian’s house is exactly the way he left it two years ago, apart from the words spray painted over the front window. They don’t look fresh, what must have been vibrant red has turned to dark brown, the way blood dries. Sebastian traces them with his eyes as he stands on the front step, feeling a thousand eyes watching him.

_MURDERER._

The front door opens a crack, exposing a figure hidden in the darkness. Sebastian holds his hand up in a mock wave and adjusts his backpack on his shoulders where it’s starting to hurt.

“Hi mum.”

The door swings open to reveal Heike, apron slung around her neck. For a second, Sebastian thinks she’s going to hug him, or hit him, but she stops at the last moment. They stand there, facing one another, caught in a standoff.

“Your father could have picked you up from the station.” She says finally.

“I took a cab. It was easier.”

“Who drove the cab?” She asks.

Sebastian shrugs. “How should I know?”

“It’s a small town.” Heike says, as if Sebastian has completely forgotten where he grew up. “You should know everyone.”

“Well I’m sorry for not being able to tell you my cab drivers’ vital statistics.” Sebastian says, and Heike huffs.

“Come inside. I don’t want people to see.” She glances over his shoulder, as if expecting the entire town to be standing behind Sebastian, pitch forks in hand.

Instead of leading him into the front room, she takes him up the stairs, which creak under their footsteps. Sebastian lays a hand flat on the bannister, feeling the slick grease of furniture polish.

“Nice words spray painted outside.” He says casually.

Heike makes a noise of disgust. “You don’t even live here anymore. I’ve made that perfectly clear.”

“Oh, I’m sure you have.”

“Have you spoken to the police yet?” Heike asks. There are photographs lining the walls, of his sister’s graduations, and his brother’s school photos. Where there used to be photos of Sebastian, there are now discoloured gaps in the wallpaper.

“Not yet.” Sebastian says. “They’ll question me later.”

Sebastian thinks he might as well live in the police station, the amount of time he spent there. They should put up a blue plaque in cell 005, _suspected kidnapper and murderer Sebastian Vettel stayed here_.

“What about your lawyer?”

“She’s arriving tomorrow.”

“Where’s she staying?” Heike asks, her tone making very clear that she will not accept another house guest.

“Hotel.” Sebastian says, “Don’t panic.”

They both come to a stop on the landing. Sebastian’s bedroom door is shut firm, and Sebastian steps forward to open it. Heike shifts slightly, and Sebastian stops, turning to look at her.

“They didn’t tell me much over the phone.” He says. “Only that they finally found her body.”

Heike doesn’t say anything. Instead she stares into Sebastian’s face, as if his guilt will be written across it, acne scars spelling out letters.

“Buried underneath the church?” He presses. “Which is impossible. Those stones haven’t moved in _centuries_.”

“We shouldn’t talk about it till you speak to the police.” Heike interrupts. “Just in case.”

“But still,” Sebastian continues. “Nobody could have put her there without a trace. You can’t dig up the church floor, dump the body of a teenage girl, and then cover it up again without anyone noticing.”

“ _Sebastian_.” Heike says, her voice slightly too loud to be normal. “Can we not? For now?”

“Fine.” Sebastian says, and pushes open the door to his room.

Sebastian’s bedroom looks the same as always. The only signs that something is amiss are the yellowing posters that line the walls and the remains of blue and white police tape still hanging on the doorframe.

“I didn’t want to touch anything.” Heike hovers behind him, one hand on the door as if to support herself. “Just in case.”

Sebastian steps further into the room, running his finger along the top of a shelf. A thick layer of grimy dusk covers his finger and he shakes it away. It floats down to the floor and Sebastian grinds it into the carpet with the heel of his shoe.

“The police will probably come and investigate again.” She says. “Your lawyer said.”

“What, looking for a shovel they missed the first time?” Sebastian asks bluntly.

Heike diverts the conversation, “What was your room at college like?”

She still hasn’t stepped into the room. Sebastian wonders if she will.

“Like this.” He replies. “The bed was lumpier.”

“Your father wanted to visit.” She says. “But I didn’t think it was right.”

Sebastian turns to face Heike, and she looks away. She has more wrinkles on her forehead than before, a new way of hurried blinking when Sebastian looks at her.

“It’s okay.” He says, even though it’s not. He slips his rucksack off his shoulders and onto the bed. “I need to unpack.”

“That’s fine,” His mother says, sounding relieved that they don’t have to keep up the niceties any longer. “I’ll leave you alone. Dinner is at 7, remember, unless you had other plans?”

“No plans.” Sebastian says, shutting down her hope. “Unless Kimi and Minttu are around.”

The mention of their names sucks all the air out of the room. Heike locks her fingers together, squeezing tightly until her knuckles are white. Sebastian doesn’t look up into her face.

“I don’t think you should see them.” Heike says finally, her voice strained.

“They’re my best friends.” Sebastian reminds her.

“Was.” Heike corrects. “They’re both bad news. We knew that from the start.”

“Well I know for a fact that they didn’t kill her.” Sebastian says abruptly, finally looking at his mother. “I was with both of them that night. I know what happened.”

Heike looks back at him with an expression that Sebastian cannot place.

“I don’t trust your alibi.” She says finally and moves away from the doorframe. “Take all the time you need to unpack.”

When she slams the bedroom door shut, it vibrates around the room, causing a picture frame to jump off Sebastian’s shelf. Sebastian sighs, bending forward until he’s almost falling off the bed to pick it up.

He turns the frame over in his hands and blinks at the photograph. Kimi, Hanna, Minttu, and his own face look back at him, arms around each other, grinning. Hanna is in the middle, cheeks flushed, and Sebastian is leaning into her, with Kimi squeezing her waist, Minttu pulling a face at the camera. They look happy.

And now Hanna is dead, and the whole town think Kimi, Minttu, and Sebastian are the ones that did it.

.

Sebastian is lying on his bed using up his phone’s 4G data when there’s a knock at his bedroom door. He sits up, pulling one headphone out of his ear and closing his browser page just as the door opens, revealing his brother Fabian.

“Having a wank?” Fabian asks, still in his school uniform.

The last time Sebastian saw Fabian, he was a sixteen-year-old nerd. Sebastian’s final memory of Fabian was a small boy with thick black framed glasses, who hid away in his room. The Fabian standing in front of him is tall, with floppy brown hair, and seemingly contacts. He looks so grown up that Sebastian has to blink a couple of times, staring at this boy who is almost a man.

“Just perfecting my alibi.” Sebastian responds, and Fabian snorts, but a little uncomfortable.

“Mum said you were coming home today.”

“And here I am.” Sebastian lifts up his hands. “Hello.”

“Hello.” Fabian says. “How long are you staying for?”

“Trying to get rid of me so easily?”

“My friends don’t want to come over if you’re here.” Fabian says, matter-of-fact. “Especially the girls.”

“You have friends who are girls?” Sebastian asks, impressed, “You’ve changed.”

“I get a ton of pussy now.” Fabian says, with a slightly smug expression that Heike must be trying hard to break him out of. “But not with you here.”

“Well you can assure them that I’m not a murderer.” Sebastian says. “Not arrested, am I?”

“Not yet.” Fabian says, scraping his toe against the carpet. “When are you seeing the police?”

Sebastian raises and lowers one shoulder. “I assume they’ll contact me. They have my number on speed dial.”

Fabian is quiet and Sebastian sighs, standing up from the bed. “Fabs. I didn’t kill Hanna. _Why_ would I kill Hanna?”

“I don’t know.” Fabian says. “Why does anyone do anything?”

“I loved her.” Sebastian says firmly. “I didn’t kill her.”

“Do you know who did?” Fabian asks, in the same blunt voice that Heike had used earlier.

“No.” Sebastian says firmly, pushing all thoughts of Kimi out of his mind. “I don’t.”

Fabian scratches at the back of his head, and then drops his hand. “I should go and get changed. Mum tell you when dinner is?”

“Yup.” Sebastian says, and then waves his phone. “Any idea what the Wi-Fi password is? Seems to have changed since the last time I was here.”

“Uh,” Fabian says. “Norbert1987. Capital N for Nobert.”

“That’s not Dad’s birthday.” Sebastian says, typing the letters into his phone. “It’s mine.”

“I know.” Fabian says, and turns away. “See you Seb.”

“See you.” Sebastian replies, and shuts the door after Fabian.

.

The most reputable article about Hanna was posted on the BBC news website a week ago. Sebastian clicks onto it, laying on his side in bed, ignoring the backpack that needs to be unpacked. The article is titled _REMAINS OF TEENAGER FOUND IN SUSPICIOUS CIRCUMSTANCES_ and has a huge photo of Hanna plastered underneath.

_The body of Hanna Prater, a 17-year-old girl from Heppenheim who had been missing for two years, was found in mysterious circumstances late last night. A super thunderstorm caused lightning to hit the St Enzo’s church, disturbing the stone paving and headstones that make up the church floor. When police arrived to deal with the damage, they found the body of Prater exposed to the elements.  It is unsure how long she had been buried under the floorboards, or how she was able to be buried there in the first place, as building work has not been done on the church in over 35 years._

_Hope had been held that Hanna Prater was being kept alive somewhere, even though her hand had been found two years ago on the outskirts of Heppenheim woods. Investigations into Prater’s death are underway, and previous suspects of the case have been called back for questioning._

_Updates to follow._

The picture of Hanna that the article has used is old, making her seem younger than she actually was. This Hanna has blonde hair hanging loose around her shoulders, and is smiling nervously at the camera, exposing braces. The editors have cropped out Kimi and Sebastian who were also in the photo, and all that remains of them are the faint shadows of their bodies.

It’s strange, Sebastian thinks, that everyone is trying so hard to pretend that the four of them were never friends. Every photograph of Hanna that was released to the public has Sebastian, Kimi and Minttu taken out of it, even her parents refuse to admit that Hanna even knew the three of them.

Maybe they think the public will only believe they were her murderers if they don’t know that they loved her.

Sebastian realises that a tear has escaped from his eye from the awkward position he’s lying in. He rolls over onto his back, holding his phone above his face, and scrolls through the comments. Lots of them are sympathetic, praying for Hanna’s family. Some are demanding that her killers are brought to justice. Some are just trolls.

Sebastian closes the article, dropping his phone onto his chest and staring up at the ceiling. Just two years ago, he was laying on this bed with Hanna, talking about university and student loans and fresher’s fayre. Now he’s waiting for the police call that will politely ask him to come down to the station.

It doesn’t matter what the police say though. Sebastian’s alibi is water tight, right down to the miniscule detail. He’s repeated it over and over again, to different police men and women, sometimes crying, sometimes stoic. He could probably recite it backwards if needed, or in his sleep.

Of course, it’s all a made-up story, but the police aren’t to know _that_.

 

 

Dinner is awkward, as to be expected. Sebastian comes downstairs at 7 on the dot to find his mother in the kitchen, staring at a boiling pot of water. Sebastian watches her from the doorway for a moment, slightly creeped out at her blank faced expression, before he coughs to alert her attention.

Heike jumps, turning to face him. “You scared me.”

“Should have been paying attention.” Sebastian replies. “What’s the boiling water telling you?”

“That you’re a terrible son.” Heike says, and tosses a handful of salt into the water.

“What’s for dinner?” Sebastian asks, ignoring her comment, and Heike waves a hand at the second pot that is bubbling away on the stove top.

“Chili.” She says, and steps forward to add pasta into the water. “Lay the table.”

“Fabs should be doing that.” Sebastian says. “I’m the guest.”

Heike snorts as if Sebastian is completely insane. “You’re not a guest if you live here.”

Sebastian pulls open the kitchen drawer roughly, taking out the cutlery. He pauses with the knives in his hand, looking up at Heike. “You sure you trust me with these?”

“Just lay the table Sebastian. Make sure you include your father.”

“Wouldn’t dream of anything otherwise.” Sebastian says sarcastically.

walks into the dining room where the plates and table mats are already set out. He can hear the television blaring from the living room, some sort of reality tv show that Fabian must be watching. Sebastian remembers when he used to curl up on the sofa with Kimi, watching all kinds of rubbish, and Fabian would beg to be a part of it. How times have changed.

Sebastian arranges the cutlery on the table, running his thumb over one of the knives in a way that the police would probably find suspicious. Anything he does now is considered suspicious, or the sign of a guilty conscience.

“You’ve done it wrong.”

Sebastian turns to find Heike re-doing everything he just did, straightening the spoons and swapping the forks and knives over.

“Everything I do, you always find a fault with it.” Sebastian marvels. “It could be your super power.”

“It’s not my fault when you do everything wrong.” Heike says, wiping her hands on her apron. “There. That’s better.”

Sebastian reaches out and adjusts a glass so that it’s at an angle. Heike glowers at him.

“Just admit that you never wanted me home.” Sebastian says. “Just say that you hate me. It’ll be easier for both of us.”

“I don’t hate you.”

“Well you’re acting like it.” Sebastian says. “You didn’t even like Hanna in the first place, why are you suddenly worked up over her murder?”

“Don’t speak ill of the dead.” Heike snaps.

“You hated her!” Sebastian says. “You didn’t even want her in the house, and now you’re ready to believe that I killed her?”

Heike opens her mouth to retort when there’s the sound of the front door being unlocked. The two of them look at one another, confused, when a voice calls out.

“It’s only me!”

Norbert pushes open the living room door and is visibly surprised to see Sebastian and Heike squaring off. He quickly blinks his expression away and drops his briefcase onto the floor, holding out his arms.

“Sebastian! I didn’t think you were arriving until tomorrow?! I would have come home early.”

“Change of plans.” Sebastian says, and lets his father sweep him into a hug.

“How are you? You’re so thin, “Nobert looks over at Heike. “We’ll have to give him double portions!”

Heike smiles at Nobert for a second and then goes back to glaring. Nobert seems to ignore this behaviour and squeezes Sebastian again.

“I’m so happy you’re home.”

“It isn’t for long.” Sebastian reminds him. “Just until everything is sorted.”

Nobert pulls an apologetic expression and releases his son. “I’m so sorry about the circumstances. When they announced they’d found Hanna, I was so sure she’d be alive.”

“How would a girl like Hanna survive without a hand?” Heike says, and Sebastian winces despite himself.

His parents turn to look at him, and Sebastian tries to school his expression into something neutral. Just the thought of Hanna’s dismembered hand in the dirt, fingers crooked, with the faint remains of nail polish make him feel sick to his stomach.

“Dinner is ready whenever you want it.” Heike says, and Nobert begins undoing his tie.

“Now? I didn’t eat lunch today.”

“Why not?” She asks.

“Business meeting.” Nobert says, and then slaps Sebastian on the shoulder. “Sit, sit! Where’s my other son?”

“Living room.” Sebastian says. “I think.”

“I’ll go fetch him.” Nobert pushes Sebastian gently into a seat and picks up his briefcase. “Help yourself to a drink. We have beer, wine, vodka…”

“Water is fine. Thanks.” Sebastian says, pouring himself a glass of water from the jug on the table. Nobert vanishes into the other room, and Sebastian looks up to find Heike looking at him from the kitchen.

“What?” Sebastian asks.

“Nothing.” She replies and goes back to doling out the pasta and sauce.

Fabian slopes into the room a few minutes later, taking the seat next to Sebastian. He yawns, exposing straight white teeth, and then steals a wine glass from his mother’s place setting.

“Nope.” Nobert says, sitting down at the head of the table. “Water, Fabian.”

“I’m almost 18.” Fabian says. “And I like wine.”

“I don’t care if you like wine, you’re having water. It’s a school night.” Nobert fills up Fabian’s wine glass with water.

“I bet Seb’s allowed wine.” Fabian mutters.

“Sebastian is 19.”

“That’s not even old!” Fabian protests. “Tell him Seb.”

“I’m not getting involved.” Sebastian says.

“Traitor.” Fabian says moodily.

Sebastian takes a sip of his water glass and then sets it down carefully. “How was work?”

“Good.” Norbert says, seemingly glad of the distraction. “Lots of important meetings. Lots of new employees to train too. It’s a pity you didn’t join the firm Sebastian, you’d run rings about the people we’ve got there now.”

“I like university.” Sebastian says. “Plus, I don’t think people would like it if I stayed here.”

“You’ve done nothing wrong Seb.” Norbert says seriously. “I’m disgusted with the attitude of this town, honestly. I keep emailing your lawyer, but she says it can’t be helped.”

Sebastian shrugs. “Can’t change people’s minds.”

Heike comes into the room, carrying plates. “What can’t we change?” She asks, handing Norbert and Fabian their food.

“The fact that some people in this town think I’m a murderer.” Sebastian says politely, and Heike practically drops his bowl of pasta onto the table in front of him.

“Heike…” Norbert says lowly, and Heike drops into her seat, not taking her eyes off Sebastian.

“What?” She asks, and then motions towards the table. “Eat up.”

Fabian leans towards Sebastian and mock whispers. “Make sure it’s not poisoned.”

“Fabian.” Heike says, “Eat your food.”

“I’m doing it, Jesus!” Fabian picks up his fork. “Give me a chance mother.”

They fall into a silence as they eat, and even Sebastian has to admit the food is good. He’s missed his mother’s cooking, or any kind of cooking that he hasn’t had to actually do himself. Sebastian can feel Heike watching him as he eats and doesn’t know what to do to make her stop.

“Do you have any plans while you’re here?” Norbert asks Sebastian, taking a sip of wine.

“Not really.” Sebastian says. “Just police interviews and stuff.”

“They’ve set up a memorial for Hanna.” Norbert says, “In the square. Maybe you could go visit it?”

“The murderer always returns to the scene of the crime.” Fabian says, and gets kicked under the table. “Ow!”

“I might do that.” Sebastian says, as Fabian scowls. “Depends if the mob and all their pitchforks are after me.”

“Ridiculous.” Norbert shakes his head. “You’re innocent. Why will nobody understand that?”

“Wait until the police have finished with him to cast judgement.” Heike says. “For the second time.”

“He’s our son.” Norbert says, looking at his wife. “We should be the first people to be able to tell if he’s lying or not.”

“There’s something not right.” Heike says, looking at Sebastian, who holds up his hands in mock admission.

“You got it mum. I murdered my best friend and then dug up the church in the dead of night and buried her body. There you go. A full confession.”

“Don’t joke about things like that.” Heike says, but Sebastian interrupts.

“Well stop acting like I did it then!”

“You know something!” Heike says, pointing her fork at him. “I can see it on your face. There’s something that you’re not telling us, or the police. Guilt.”

Sebastian drops his cutlery onto his plate and stands up from the table. “I can’t deal with this.” He says. “I’m going upstairs.”

“Oh Sebastian- “Norbert stands, and Sebastian shakes his head.

“I’m done.” He says, “I can’t pretend to be a happy family when she’s convinced she’s dining with a serial killer.”

Sebastian kicks his chair into place and walks off. Just before he slams the living room door shut behind him, he hears Fabian let out an exaggerated sigh, pushing his chair back from the table too.

“Well that went well, didn’t it?” He says. “Thanks mum.”

“Shut up.” Heike says, and Sebastian walks up the stairs, so he doesn’t have to deal with this anymore.

Safely back in his room, Sebastian throws himself onto the bed, burying his face in the pillow because he’s too angry to do anything else. His phone bleeps merrily next to him, and Sebastian pulls it out of the charger and holds it in front of his face.

_1 new voicemail message._

Sebastian dials the number and rubs his eyes as he waits for the message to start. For a brief second, he imagines he will hear Kimi’s voice, the slow drawl asking why the fuck he didn’t tell Kimi he was coming home. Instead, it’s an Australian twang that Sebastian knows all too well.

“Hello Sebastian, this is Webber from the Heppenheim police department. We need you to come in tomorrow morning for questions about Miss Prater’s disappearance. Legally you don’t have to come, but we think it would be best if you did. Call us back when you get this.”

Sebastian hangs up the call, and then types in the police station number. It rings for a couple of seconds before a female voice answers.

“Hello, Heppenheim police station, how can I help you?”

“This is Sebastian Vettel.” Sebastian replies bluntly. “Tell Webber I’m coming in tomorrow morning. Get my cell comfy.”

“I’m sorry, did you say you were Sebastian Vettel- “

Sebastian ends the call and plugs the phone back into the charger. He wonders if Webber was the first police officer on the scene at the church, if he recognised the strands of blonde hair on the exposed corpse. Sebastian wonders if Hanna was wearing the clothes that he last saw her in, the same clothes that were printed on all her missing posters.

_Hanna Prater is 5’6 and was last seen wearing a black dress with black strappy heels. She has short blonde hair. Her nails were painted pink. She had a bracelet on her left wrist with four unique charms on it._

Sebastian rolls onto his back, biting at the loose skin on his lips. He can hear the low hum of conversation downstairs, and winces when his head starts to throb with the familiar pain of a migraine.

He buries his hands into his hair, trying to locate where it hurts the most, and where to massage. His fingers skate over the raised scalp tissue, and Sebastian strokes the scar that runs from the centre of his head down to the base of his neck, narrowly hidden by his hair.

When the four of them had been attacked in the woods, it was Hanna who had come of the worst. Sebastian has been trying to block out the memories for two years, but he can’t forget the screaming, or Kimi’s shouts of pain, or the way that Minttu had wailed for help.

He just wishes he knew what had tried to kill them in the first place.

 

 

The interrogation room hasn’t changed the last time that Sebastian was in there, only the people have. Webber, sitting opposite Sebastian, has a few more grey hairs, and his beard has lost the patchiness it once had. Sebastian’s lawyer, Britta, has shaken off her youth and now sits hard-eyed beside him.

“Interview started at 1100 hours.” Webber says, his voice a deep crackle. “For the tape, Officer Webber, Sebastian Vettel, and Britta Roesk are the only people in the room. This is a caution interview and Sebastian Vettel can leave at any time, although this will reflect in our decision of the case. Please can everyone state their presence.”

“Here.” Britta says crisply.

“Here.” Sebastian echoes, and stares Webber down.

“As you know, Miss Prater’s body was found a week ago under St Enzo’s church. Did you know that her body was buried there?” Webber asks.

“No, I did not.”

“Did Kimi Raikkonen or Minttu Virtanen know that Miss Prater’s body was there?”

“No, they did not.”

“Did you know that Miss Prater was dead?”

“No, I did not.”

Webber eyes Sebastian. “In an interview two years ago, on the 18th of November you stated that ‘Hanna was probably dead as the police had found her hand’.”

“Well a teenage girl is unlikely to survive her hand being chopped off without medical attention.” Sebastian says.

“How did you know that the hand was ‘chopped off’?”

“I didn’t.” Sebastian says. “I just guessed. It seems likely that someone dismembered her than an accident.”

“You seem very calm talking about the murder of your best friend.”

“I’ve been doing this shit for 2 years.” Sebastian says bluntly. “I’ve had a lot of therapy.”

Webber doesn’t speak, staring directly into Sebastian’s face. Then he coughs, looking down at his notes. Britta shifts beside Sebastian, drumming her fingers on the table.

“Where were you on the night that Miss Prater disappeared?”

“Surely you already have this on file?” Britta interjects. “My client has been interviewed several times.”

“Well we need to hear it again.” Webber says. “If he has a water tight alibi, then this shouldn’t be a problem.”

“You’re just trying to catch him out.” Brita says. “You need a suspect and you want Sebastian to take the blame for it.”

“I assure you that I don’t.” Webber says, and turns back to Sebastian. “Your alibi, Mr Vettel?”

“It was a graduation party at the school.” Sebastian says bluntly. “I was with Kimi, Minttu, and Hanna. We weren’t drinking that night, which you know for a fact because you tested our alcohol levels. Minttu was bored so we decided to go home. Hanna wanted to stay and talk to a few teachers but would join us later. We left the school and went back to Kimi’s house. Hanna didn’t message us back, so we thought she’d gone home. We went to Hanna’s house, but she wasn’t there. Her parents said they hadn’t seen her either. We called the school, but she wasn’t there. That’s when we called the police.”

“I have a copy of the police transcript here,” Webber says, waving a sheet of paper. “You seem calm when you report her missing.”

“Well we didn’t think it was serious.” Sebastian said. “She’d only gone for a couple of hours. But it was Hanna.”

“And you were concerned?”

“Yes.” Sebastian says, exasperated. “Otherwise we wouldn’t have phoned the police, would we?”

Britta drums her fingers on the table. “This interview is useless.” She says, “Sebastian didn’t have anything to do with her disappearance, and neither did Kimi or Minttu. You should be out there interviewing the public, and not three teenagers who were traumatised by their friend’s murder.”

“Sebastian doesn’t seem traumatised.” Webber says.

Sebastian draws up his shirt sleeve to reveal pink scars that run across his arm, like neat little train tracks. Webber blanches slightly, and Britta shifts in her seat.

“I hate myself for not sticking with Hanna.” Sebastian says in a low voice. “We should have stayed with her. We should have walked home with her. But we didn’t. And now she’s dead. So yeah, it was my fault that she died. But I didn’t fucking kill her, okay?”

Webber stares at Sebastian’s arm, and Sebastian’s skin itches. He’d cut last night too, on his ankle, where he could hide it from prying eyes. Now he has everything on display for everyone to see.

“Interview terminated at 11:15.” Webber says.

.

In the corridor outside the interrogation room, Britta is seething. She’s wrapping her scarf around her neck so tightly that Sebastian thinks she might strangle herself as she mutters about Webber.

“Honestly!” She says, zipping up her coat. “It’s been three years, and their only line of inquiry is you, Kimi, and Minttu? Three fucking kids who could barely kill a spider, let alone murder their best friend and bury her body under a _fucking_ church.”

“He’s useless.” Sebastian agrees.

“I’d kill him myself if I could.” Britta says, “They’d probably blame you for it and all. I could confess to beating him over the head with a shovel and they’d arrest you for having gardening tools in your shed.”

She stamps her foot crossly, and then looks at Sebastian. “I’m really sorry, you know? I don’t want to be dragging you through this again.”

Sebastian shrugs. “I know it’s not your fault.”

“Still.” She reaches out and places her hand on his upper arm, squeezing slightly. “You know you can come to me if you ever need me, okay? Not just about the case, but if you need a friend to talk to.”

“Thanks.” Sebastian says, placing his hand over hers. “That’s really nice of you.”

They begin to walk down the corridor towards the exit, coldness seeping in from the glass doors. Sebastian shoves his hands into his pockets, ignoring the stares from the other police officers on duty.

“Need a lift?” Britta asks as they step outside into the crisp air.

“No, I’m good.” Sebastian says. “I need the walk.”

“You sure?” Britta dangles her keys in the air. “I’ll let you pick the music?”

“I’m good.” Sebastian says, and smiles. “I’ll see you soon.”

“Take care of yourself.” Britta says, with a frown, and then walks towards the carpark.

Sebastian sighs, walking down the steps of the police station. No matter what, Webber will call him tomorrow and ask him to come in, and they’ll go through the whole process again. Webber will never believe Sebastian, whatever he does.

Sebastian’s been walking along the street for a while when he realises that a sleek black car is following him. His heart catches in his throat and he starts walking a little faster, thinking he’s just being paranoid. The car speeds up after him, and Sebastian clenches his fists inside his pockets.

Just as they get to the street corner, he spins on his heel and squares down the car. The windows are tinted so he can’t see inside, and he doesn’t recognise the registration number. The licence plate is Finnish anyway, not from around here.

“Hey!” He says. “Can you fucking stop following me?”

Very slowly, the front passenger window winds itself down. Sebastian takes a step back, afraid that something is about to be thrown at him, or a weapon pointed at him.

Instead, Minttu Virtanen stares back at him, one perfectly plucked eyebrow raised. Inside the car, Sebastian can see that Kimi Raikkonen is driving, his gloved hands on the steering wheel. They’re both looking at him as if he’s completely crazy, which in all fairness, he possibly is.

“Hey idiot.” Minttu says, lips painted black. “Get in the car.”

Sebastian, of course, complies.

The car smells of peppermint and weed, and Sebastian sits in the backseat staring at his two best friends. Kimi looks older, his hair cut shorter and a new tattoo graces his forearm. Minttu looks the same, long dark hair and pale face making her look like a corpse.

“What did you say to Webber?” Kimi asks, as if they haven’t seen one another for years

“ _What_?” Sebastian says, “Is this the whole reason you picked me up? To see if I’d told on you or not?”

“We wanted to see you.” Minttu says, turning around in her seat to face him. Her eyes stare at him hungrily. “People in town had been saying you were back home.”

“Like what you see?” Sebastian asks sarcastically.

“You look like shit.” Kimi says, glancing at him in the rear-view mirror.

“Fuck you.” Sebastian says, and Minttu crows.

“There’s my Seb! I thought university had made you soft, but here you are. Same asshole under the surface.”

“Fuck you too.” Sebastian says, “Why didn’t you reply to my messages?”

“Because they’ve been tracking our phones, dummy.” Minttu says.

“What, _Webber_?”

“Yes, Webber.” Minttu rolls her eyes. “They’re desperate to pin Hanna on us. They’ll take any fucking excuse.”

“And what, that meant you couldn’t even ring me from a fucking pay phone, huh?” Sebastian asks, leaning forward. “You couldn’t text me from a different number? Bullshit.”

“We- “

“Shut up about this fucking ‘we’, are you two joined at the hip?” Sebastian snaps. “You left me alone. I didn’t have anyone.”

“I’m sorry you fucked off to university.” Minttu says, “Sorry that Daddy paid for your education.”

“You bitch.” Sebastian says, and Minttu flips him off. “I was fucking alone.”

“Well it hasn’t been peaches and cream staying here.” Minttu glances over at Kimi. “Everyone thinks we killed her.”

“No matter how many times we say we didn’t.” Kimi rubs the scar that runs along his arm. Even now, years later, it looks fresh.

“My mother thinks I did it.” Sebastian says.

“Good old Heike.” Minttu says. “Does she still hate me?”

“Of course.” Sebastian says, and she laughs.

“Good.”

Kimi comes to a stop at traffic lights and cracks the window for air. “I’m sorry we didn’t visit.”

“Yeah, you should be.” Sebastian says, annoyed.

“Mint’s not lying.” Kimi says, turning to look at Sebastian. “The police have been tracking us. Everywhere we go, who we speak to, what we do. It would have been too suspicious.”

Kimi’s eyes are still a shade of green that makes Sebastian’s stomach flip-flop. For a second, Sebastian is sixteen and innocent and head over heels in love.

“Where are you even taking me anyway?” Sebastian asks, trying to distract himself. “You do know this is basically kidnap?”

Kimi snorts. “Don’t be a baby Sebastian.”

The lights turn green and Kimi turns back to face the front. The car is silent for a moment, Sebastian fiddling with his coat sleeves, Minttu staring at him.

“Webber still thinks we’re guilty.” Sebastian says finally.

“Webber can’t tell a shit from a fart.” Kimi mutters.

“If anything, Hanna is the guilty one.” Minttu says, and Sebastian bristles.

“Don’t bring her into it.”

“Oh come on Sebastian,” Minttu says, “Don’t say that you believe the ‘Hanna was an innocent lamb’ story?”

“And we were big bad wolves.” Kimi swings the car suddenly, and Sebastian almost hits his head on the window.

“Jesus, your driving hasn’t improved.” He says. “And come on. We were bad influences on her.”

“Hanna was as bad as any of us.” Kimi says. “She got herself killed.”

“Say that again and you’ll regret it.” Sebastian says. “She didn’t think anything would happen.”

“You saw her in the woods,” Kimi snaps, “With that knife, and all that blood. She knew what she was doing.”

Sebastian thinks of Hanna in the forest, naked and covered in animal blood. The way she had swayed in the breeze, smiling.

“She- “Sebastian starts, and then realises where they are. “Oh god.”

“What?” Kimi asks as he comes to a stop by the edge of the woods.

“Why are we _here_?” Sebastian asks, his pulse racing. “You’re the ones who think it’s suspicious to even text me, and now we’re in the fucking woods where Hanna- “

 “We’re going into the woods.” Minttu says calmly. “And we’re going to finish what Hanna started.”

Sebastian stares at the both of them. “No.” He says. “We’re not raising the fucking dead.”

“Hanna wasn’t raising the dead.” Kimi says, unlocking the car door. “You know that.”

“She was _insane_.” Sebastian hisses. “She got herself _eaten_.”

“Then it’s a good thing we brought bait then.” Minttu says breezily, pulling out a steel handed knife from her bag.

“Is that Hanna’s knife?” Sebastian asks, hardly able to speak.”

Minttu twirls it between her fingers, and for a second Sebastian thinks she’s about to cut him with it. Instead she holds it out to him, blade first.

“Come on Sebastian.” She says, eyes glinting. “Let’s go raise hell. _Literally_.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> to the 3 ppl who read f1 fic.... pls comment


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